Bonding With Asuka
by RySenkari
Summary: In this story, taking place between episodes 9 and 10, Misato decides that Asuka and Shinji need more training in trust. She comes up with an idea to help Shinji and Asuka bond... which involves literal bonds. Will Asuka let herself be roped in by Shinji?


"Unnngh… what a week…"

Asuka sat up and threw the blanket from her body, reaching up to rub her aching forehead. She'd just gotten through one of the most difficult weeks of her life, and now she was paying for her restless nights with drowsy mornings. She pressed her fingers hard into the right side of her temple, unable to wipe the pain away.

"I hope Misato doesn't want us to do anything today… what a hell of a time _that _would be…"

Asuka stood up, her toes digging into the layer of padding she'd placed on the floor to sleep on. She still couldn't believe she was being forced to sleep on the floor, and she knew it was the primary reason that some part of her ached every morning since she'd come to Japan. She rubbed her eyes and slid open the separating door between the room and the hallway, stepping outside and immediately hearing a familiar voice calling to her.

"Asuka!" came the voice, which immediately registered as Misato's. Asuka groaned. "You've got ten minutes to come out to the living room, I've got some things I want you and Shinji to-"

"God!" Asuka snapped, her voice carrying down the narrow hallway. "Can I at least have breakfast first? My head feels like I just rammed it into the wall!"

"Yes yes, of course, you can have breakfast, but hurry it up and get in here as soon as you're done," Misato replied. "I've got some fun things planned for you and Shinji today."

"_By fun I hope she means some actual training instead of that stupid dance machine I had to endure last week," _thought Asuka. She walked into the kitchen and grabbed the nearest cereal box, slamming it down hard on the table before looking through the cabinets for a bowl to use.

"Hey Asuka," said Shinji, already seated at the table with a glass of orange juice and a clean plate. He was already dressed for the day, in contrast to Asuka who was still clad only in the red tanktop and pair of pink panties she'd worn to bed. "Uh, are you gonna get dressed?"

"Maybe you should just stop looking at me, pervert!" Asuka shouted at him, sitting down at the table with the bowl she'd just gotten.

"_She's in a foul mood today," _thought Shinji, letting out a sigh. _"I was hoping today would be different…"_

Asuka poured herself some cereal and began dipping her spoon into the bowl.

"I can't believe I have to eat dry cereal, this is so beneath me," Asuka muttered, glaring up at Shinji. "Did you drink all the milk?"

"Uh, I've got orange juice," Shinji replied nervously, pointing to his glass. Asuka rolled her eyes.

"So you had some milk last night then," Asuka said, still glaring. "Next time you take something from the fridge, you should ask me!"

Shinji's calm look melted away, and his normal shyness faded as he felt the anger welling up inside of him. He looked up, meeting Asuka's glare.

"I didn't ask to have to live with you, you know!"

"Neither did I!" Asuka shouted back. "But as long as I'm living here you should pay me some respect!"

"I was here first!"

"Screw you!" Asuka swore, throwing her spoon at Shinji's head.

---

Misato sat in the living room while all of this was going on, leaning back into the couch and letting out a sigh. Sitting next to her was Ritsuko, listening to Shinji and Asuka's argument with growing amusement.

"I guess you're right, they do have some issues to work out," said Ritsuko, looking over at Misato with a smile.

"You're damn right they do," Misato replied. "I can't let them embarrass the bosses even more. If they keep arguing like this, I'll get fired even if the two of them manage to wipe out every last Angel… and the way the two of them are fighting, I'm not sure they'll be able to do that."

"So… is this why you had me bring the uh…" Ritsuko looked down at the large black duffel bag at her feet, reaching in and pulling out a bundle of ropes. "…you're going to tie them up and gag them until they agree to behave?"

"There'll be some tying and gagging, but it won't be both of them, at least not at the same time," said Misato. "You'll see what'll happen, thanks for bringing that stuff over."

"Hey…" Ritsuko said, a bit of a blush on her face. "Do you remember back in college, when we…"

"Oh yeah, I do…" Misato leaned over to Ritsuko, a hint of a devilish smile on her lips. "Don't act like you didn't love every second of it. Any luck getting Kaji to reminisce about the old days?"

Ritsuko blushed even harder, though she tried to conceal it by placing her hand to her face.

"It was you he spent time with, not me, remember?" Ritsuko noted.

"But I did get him to tie you up once."

"That was just as a prank…! You two freaked me out and I'm still kind of mad at you for that. Please don't bring it up again."

Ritsuko's serious look had returned and Misato knew not to press her any further. She backed off slightly from her blonde friend and leaned back again just as Shinji and Asuka came into the room. Their argument had stopped, though Asuka still had a bitter look on her face and stole several glares at Shinji as they walked in.

"So are you guys ready for today's lesson?" asked Misato.

"Yes, we are," said Asuka with a loud sigh. Her headache had mostly faded, though she still felt a bit drowsy. "Are YOU ready, Shinji?"

"Uh, yeah," Shinji replied, looking over at Ritsuko. "Good morning, Ms. Akagi…"

"Good morning, Shinji," replied Ritsuko calmly. "Misato, I think you're in charge here, so I'll just sit back and observe… unless you want me to go."

"Oh no, I need you for this lesson, Ritsuko," Misato told her, causing Ritsuko to raise an eyebrow in slight surprise. She then turned and looked at Shinji and Asuka, the latter of whom was curiously eying the open duffel bag at Ritsuko's feet.

"_Is that… a bundle of rope?" _thought Asuka, who could start to feel a lump forming in her throat. _"If Misato's thinking of doing what I'm thinking she's thinking of doing, I'm getting out of here!"_

"Today's lesson is all about trust," said Misato. Shinji's eyes grew slightly wider, a curious expression forming on his face. Asuka could feel the lump in her throat growing bigger, starting to realize exactly what Misato was planning on doing. "Trust is extremely important in any situation where people of different backgrounds have to work together, especially on the field of battle when partners have each other's lives in their hands. Over the past few days I've noticed a distinct lack of trust between the two of you and I'm going to rectify that situation right-"

"Are you gonna be tying us up?" Asuka suddenly blurted out, a defiant look on her face.

"What?!" Shinji cried nervously, almost leaping into the air as his cheeks became flushed with red. "You can't be serious!"

"When did I ever say I was tying either of you up?" said Misato, starting to get annoyed. "I am not going to be tying anyone up."

"Then… Ritsuko then!" Asuka said, pointing at her. "You're gonna have Ritsuko doing it!"

"I'm not tying anyone up either," Ritsuko replied, shaking her head. "Maybe you should listen to what Misato is trying to tell you."

"Yeah, listen to me!" Misato reached into the bag and began placing the contents on the table in front of the couch. There were six bales of rope, several pieces of balled-up cloth, two pairs of handcuffs, and two rolls of tape: one roll of duct tape and one roll of wide white medical tape. "Like I said, today's lesson is about trust. And what stronger expression of trust is there besides allowing someone to place you completely under their power?"

"By tying them up!" Asuka suddenly shouted, waving her arms. "No… no way, NO! No one is going to be tying me up, not now, not ever…! It's not happening!"

By now, Shinji's face had turned entirely red, and his hands were shaking.

"_What if Misato has Asuka tie me up…?" _Shinji thought, looking over at her. _"I don't think I'd trust Asuka even if I was totally free, let alone all tied up and helpless! This is nuts! …and what if I have to tie up Asuka? She'd kill me before she'd let do that!"_

"It's obvious already that neither of you trust each other or either of us," said Misato, letting out a sigh. "That's okay, because I have a demonstration planned anyway."

Misato turned to Ritsuko, and with one swift motion, grabbed a pair of handcuffs in one hand and wrapped her other arm tightly around Ritsuko's body.

"Hey, what the hell, Misato?!" Ritsuko said, her normally calm demeanor immediately wiped away by her friend's sudden actions. "I told you, I'm not getting involved!"

"Ritsuko and I are best friends," Misato replied, ignoring Ritsuko's angry protests and seizing her wrists tightly behind her. "So… Ritsuko trusts me. And I know that even if she was tied up and helpless, she would gladly place her life in my hands. That…"

Misato struggled to get the squirming Ritsuko's wrists cuffed behind her, while Shinji and Asuka traded nervous looks.

"I swear to God, Misato, if you don't let me go right now-"

"That…" said Misato, finally snapping the cuffs in place, "Is the kind of trust I'd like the two of you to place in one another, and in Rei as well. That's the kind of trust that wins wars!"

Ritsuko struggled in the cuffs, but they were locked tightly and she was unable to get her wrists free. She gave Misato an angry look.

"All right, you've made your point. I trust you, now get these things off me!"

"No, I still have to show Asuka and Shinji the meaning of trust before I have them demonstrate on each other. Now hold still…!"

"On each other?!" Asuka and Shinji both shouted at once, looking at one another and then back at Misato.

"I have to let HIM tie me up?"

"I have to let HER tie me up?"

"Yes yes, you'll be tying each other up and placing complete trust in the one tying you, that's the lesson, but I still have to finish the demonstration."

By now, Misato had Ritsuko's feet in her lap and was tightly wrapping her ankles in duct tape, much to the blonde's consternation.

"You're going to rip my pantyhose with that stuff, stop it!" Ritsuko protested, trying to kick her legs free of Misato's grasp. "If you don't stop right now I'll report you to NERV central command and you'll be harshly disciplined!"

"But helping the EVA pilots get in sync with one another is your job," Misato said, smiling widely at her friend. "Consider this to be… unpaid overtime."

"_This is totally crazy," _thought Shinji, watching as Misato continued rationalizing her reasons for this hands-on demonstration to the helpless Ritsuko. _"I bet Asuka is really pissed off right now…"_

"_I am REALLY pissed off right now…!" _thought Asuka, who considered making a run for it and jumping out the nearest window. _"I'll go right to NERV headquarters and complain to Kaji… HE'LL get me out of this, won't he?"_

But Asuka remembered that the apartment she shared with Shinji and Misato was on a very high floor, and that leaping out the window certainly wasn't an option. She was stuck with a crazy purple-haired drunk and a pervert who would probably grope every private area of her body the second he got her tied up on the floor.

"_I'm going to kill these people when this is over!"_

"Misato, release me right this instant. This isn't funny and it isn't helpful and you're getting on my last nerve!"

"Hehe, NERV," said Misato, giggling as she reached over and picked up one of the balled up cloths from the table nearby.

"This whole lesson idea is completely foolish. There are lots of other ways to get the EVA pilots to trust one another, but I think this exercise is just going to make them want to kill each other! Now let me go right n-mmmphhh!!"

Ritsuko gasped a muffled shout as the balled-up wad of cloth was suddenly shoved into her mouth. She grunted and tried to push it out with her tongue, but Misato cleverly kept it in with her hand while using her other hand to tear a strip of white tape loose from the roll.

"Nnmmgh! Whmm mrr ymm dmmngg?!" Ritsuko shouted. Misato pulled back her hand, immediately replacing it with the strip of tape. "Nmmmph!"

The packing now sealed within Ritsuko's mouth, she could no longer attempt to push it out and was reduced to grunting her protests and weakly kicking at Misato with her stocking feet.

"Hmmmngh!" Ritsuko muffled fiercely.

"Now let's make sure you're tied nice and securely. Shinji, Asuka, watch how I'm doing it so you'll get some good ideas for tying each other up later on."

"Uh, Misato?" asked Shinji, watching as Misato took more ropes and bound them around Ritsuko's midsection above and below her breasts, which pinned her cuffed wrists to her back and kept her from moving her arms at all. "With all due respect, I don't really see what this has to do with trusting anyone."

"_FINALLY," _thought Asuka, _"he speaks up about how asinine all of this stupid bullshit is!"_

"I mean, I know it's a sign of trust to let someone tie you up, but… if they're forced to let someone tie you up it's… well, it's not really-"

"You'll understand in just a bit, Shinji," said Misato, tightening the ropes she'd bound around Ritsuko's body. "You trust me, right Ritsuko?"

"Nmmphh..mmmph!" Ritsuko squealed, shaking her head. "Lmmt mm gmm!"

"_That is… kind of funny," _thought Asuka, raising her hand up to her lips. _"It's not often that we get to see Miss Akagi at her most vulnerable…. Perhaps if I get to tie up Shinji I can have a bit of fun with this whole thing…"_

While devilish thoughts were beginning to form in Asuka's head, Misato was taking more rope and connecting Ritsuko's cuffed wrists to her taped ankles in a tight and constricting hogtie. By now, Misato and Ritsuko were both on the floor, with the bound and squirming Ritsuko on her stomach, her stocking feet squirming and her toes wiggling as Misato tightened the last of the knots.

"There, that's perfect! Just like back in college, hmm?"

This time, Ritsuko didn't give Misato even the dignity of a shout. She just glared back at her, trying to intimidate Misato into releasing her. It didn't work.

"I know just how to cheer you up," said Misato, looking back over at Shinji and Asuka. "Don't worry, Ritsuko's enjoying this."

"Nmm mm nmmt!" Ritsuko protested, her wrists straining at their cuffs. _"Dammit, Misato…!"_

Misato began running her index finger up and down Ritsuko's right sole, drawing some quiet laughter from the captive's gagged lips.

"Nmm, dmt ym drrr tmckle mmm!" Ritsuko grunted into her gag. Misato responded by using her entire right hand on both of Ritsuko's soles, drawing out a much louder response. "MMMMPH…! MMMNNNGH HHMM MMNGH!"

"So there you go," said Misato, turning back to Asuka and Shinji.

"I think I get it now," said Asuka, "and I'm ready to participate in the lesson!"

"Huh?" Shinji replied, baffled that Asuka was now smiling and seemingly ready to go. _"Uh, did she get amnesia while Misato was tying up Miss Akagi?"_

"It's good to see that you're ready to learn, Asuka," Misato said with a smile. "Ritsuko, aren't you proud of Asuka here?"

"Mmmph…"

"So, how would you like me to tie up Shinji? Is there any particular way or position or can I just go nuts on him?"

"_Oh geez!" _thought Shinji, a look of horror appearing on his face. _"This isn't gonna be good!"_

"Well, Asuka, the thing is… I'd like to give Shinji the first turn tying _you _up."

"What?!" Asuka said in shock, her eyes widening. "But I want to go first, to tie him up! I volunteered!"

"I'm glad that you're eager, Asuka, but I think the lesson will go much better with you being tied up by Shinji first," said Misato, looking over at Shinji. "Are you okay with that?"

Asuka immediately turned toward Shinji, glaring at him like she'd murder him if he took another step toward her. The nervous look remained on Shinji's face, and he put his hands up defensively, starting to wave off both Asuka and Misato.

"No no… uh, I think you should let Asuka go first! Asuka, you can uh… you can tie me up if you're gentle! _PLEASE be gentle…!_"

"I insist, Shinji, you will be tying up Asuka first," said Misato, looking at Asuka. "I expect you to cooperate fully."

Asuka's fists were clenched tightly, her face contorted in rage. She was beginning to shake, and her headache had immediately returned, the result of a vein throbbing very prominently in her forehead. She didn't know what to say or what to do, but she absolutely wasn't going to allow Shinji to tie her up.

"I respectfully refuse this lesson, Misato…" Asuka said through gritted teeth. "This has NOTHING to do with piloting an EVA and I think you should just scrap the whole thing and do something else to get Shinji and I to trust one another."

Misato just crossed her arms over her chest, her voice taking on an angry, authoritative tone.

"Either Shinji ties you up, or I tie you up and leave you alone with Shinji for a whole week. And believe me, you do not want that. One way or another, you are going to learn to trust him, got it?"

Asuka continued to tremble, a mixture of rage, humiliation, and even a bit of fear creeping up inside of her. She swallowed the lump in her throat and turned toward Shinji, her narrowed eyes staring right into his.

"All right, I'll let you tie me up. But you listen to me, you little perv! If you lay one hand on me that I don't like, I'll rip off that hand and shove it down your throat, got it?"

"Uh… Misato?" Shinji asked nervously, turning toward his instructor. "Can't Asuka at least uh… get a bit more dressed first?"

It was then that Asuka realized she was still dressed only in a loose-fitting red tanktop and a thin pair of panties. She gasped and immediately turned toward the hallway, wanting to run to her room to dress in something a bit more conservative.

"Actually, I think this is just fine," said Misato. "Allowing yourself to be tied up in your current state shows even more trust for the person tying you. You must put your trust in Shinji to resist the temptation to take advantage of you."

"_Easier said than done," _thought Asuka, turning back toward Shinji. "Remember what I said."

"Down on the floor, please," Misato instructed. "Shinji, should Asuka be face down or face up?"

Shinji looked at the nervous and angry Asuka, knowing that she'd probably prefer to be face up, making it more difficult to bind her properly and also concealing her panty-clad buttocks from view. Then again, binding her face up would allow more of her cleavage to be seen… and though he didn't dare say it, Shinji did have a bit of an affinity for Asuka's quite ample cleavage.

"Um… face down," said Shinji.

"You heard him, Asuka," Misato told her. She'd gone over to sit by Ritsuko, whose intermittent efforts to loosen her bonds had been totally futile. "Shinji, you can bind Asuka any way you wish, but make sure to make it nice and tight."

Misato gave Ritsuko's feet another brief tickling, resulting in a loud squeal. Meanwhile, Asuka was now lying face down on the floor, looking up at Shinji with a stare that could pierce through a brick wall.

"I'll be gentle, Asuka," Shinji said, trying to give Asuka a reassuring smile… a smile that instead bordered on creepy.

"Don't pity me you little perv!" Asuka replied. "I don't care what Misato says, I'm going to slip these bonds of yours and throttle you!"

"Well okay then, I'll just tie you up really tightly!" said Shinji indignantly. _"I might as well… I don't think Asuka's going to have any mercy on me no matter what I do…"_

Shinji reached over and grabbed a bale of rope from the table. He took one of Asuka's wrists, only to have her immediately try to snatch it away.

"Asuka, you're supposed to let me-"

"It was a reflex," Asuka replied, letting out a sigh and allowing Shinji to cross her wrists behind her. _"Dammit, this is worse than having to dance with him…! At least I could kick him in the ass if he did something I didn't like, now I won't be able to get back at him at all! Damn you, Misato… this is all your fault!"_

Once Asuka's wrists were crossed, Shinji began wrapping rope tightly around them, first lengthwise and then crosswise, taking the rope in both directions to make sure everything was nice and tight. Misato took a break from playing with Ritsuko and stole a glance over at her two pupils, giving Shinji a knowing smile.

"Guess you took that binding lesson I gave you a while back to heart, hmm?"

"Binding lesson?" Asuka responded, looking over at Misato. "What the hell do you mean- ow…!"

Asuka winced as Shinji cinched the ropes tightly, tying a knot to keep them secured around Asuka's wrists. The redhead tugged at her bonds… which held incredibly well. Her hands could not move apart from one another.

"Well, as part of Shinji's military training, I had to teach him how to tie someone up quickly in the field. I let him practice on me a couple of times, he got very good very quickly."

Shinji blushed deeply as he remembered the restraint lessons Misato had given him. Asuka just continued to struggle, trying to slip her hands free from the knots Shinji had tied.

"_You son of a bitch…!" _

Asuka growled as she tugged at the ropes, but there was no give whatsoever. She could feel Shinji tying more ropes around her midsection, just above her bound wrists, and then two more ropes around her chest, above and below her breasts just as Misato had tied Ritsuko.

"Good job, you remembered to secure her arms," said Misato, looking down at Asuka. "See, that's why I had Shinji go first. This lesson doubles as both a trust lesson for the two of you and a refresher course for the field training I gave Shinji."

Shinji blushed again, silently proud that he'd remembered everything Misato taught him. His trepidation with the whole lesson was beginning to melt away, and the tighter the ropes around Asuka got, the less intimidated he felt by her looks and her threats. Meanwhile, Asuka could feel her control of the situation rapidly slipping away with every second she went by. Her arms and wrists strained, but nothing was coming loose. Her grunts and squeals could be loudly heard, and Shinji picked up another coil of rope, moving down to Asuka's legs and wrapping some rope around her ankles next, securing them tightly. He then bound Asuka's thighs, drawing a gasp and another loud protest from the captive redhead.

"Shinji, the tighter you tie me up, the harder I'll go on you once this is all over!" snapped Asuka. "I mean it, I'll get you helpless next and then you'll learn the _real _meaning of trust… as in you can trust me to show absolutely no mercy!"

"Hmm… I think the time's come to gag Miss Soryu," said Misato, looking down at her captive friend. "Wouldn't you agree, Ritsuko?"

For the first time since Ritsuko had suffered the indignity of being bound and gagged by Misato, she had calmed herself down enough to nod in agreement at Misato's assertion. She even gave a tiny smile under her tapegag, which only served to frustrate Asuka and her situation even more.

"I won't let you…!" Asuka watched as Shinji picked up a wad of cloth from the table, and suddenly snapped her lips shut. She gave Shinji a taunting smile as he moved in with the cloth, shaking her head and refusing to yield for the stuffing. "Mm-mm!"

"Hmm…" Shinji puzzled, placing his finger to his chin. He could just put some tape over Asuka's mouth, but he knew a stuff gag would be much more effective. _"Now how to make her open her mouth…"_

"_I won't let you shove that thing in my mouth, Shinji, so don't even try it!"_

Shinji thought for a few more moments, then reached over to Asuka, his hands trembling slightly as he did. Once Asuka realized what he was thinking of doing, she shook her head rapidly, squealing loudly in protest.

"Nmm-mm! NMM-MMM!"

Asuka tried pulling back her legs, but Shinji's fingers suddenly surged forward, brushing fiercely across Asuka's bare soles. She could stifle her laughter for only a moment before bursting out with loud giggles, prompting Shinji to immediately reach forward and shove the cloth in Asuka's mouth.

"A-ha-ha-ha-mmmggh! MMM! NMM!" Asuka screamed through the wadded up cloth, using her tongue to force it out of her mouth. "Don't you dare gag me with that thing you prick! If you do that to me again I'll bite your hmmmndd mmmff! MMMPH!"

Shinji shoved the cloth back in and handgagged Asuka to keep it in while using his other hand to grope for one of the loose cloths on the table. He picked it up, and all the while, Asuka was snapping at his hand while trying to force out the wadded cloth that was gagging her.

"This is a pretty good show, eh Ritsuko?" Misato said smugly, lightly elbowing Ritsuko's ribs. Ritsuko rolled her eyes, trying to be as dignified as she could be while tightly gagged and hogtied.

Asuka tried desperately to force the cloth from her lips, but just as she began pushing it back out, Shinji tied the white cloth in his hand tightly between her teeth, keeping the balled-up light blue cloth inside.

"Nmmggh, ymm prmmck, stmmp thmmt nmm!" Asuka protested, but the cleave gag was tied in place, and the stuffing was there to stay. She shook her head violently in protest as Shinji stood up to inspect his handiwork. "Mmm gnma kmll ymm!"

"So, Misato, did I do good…?" asked Shinji, still blushing somewhat.

"Yeah, good job, Shinji… now that Asuka's all tied up, she's yours to do with what you will."

"Hmm?" Ritsuko said curiously. _"Are you sure that's really a good idea…?"_

"HMMMNGH?!" Asuka shouted into her gag.

"I know you teenagers and your raging hormones, and rest assured that whatever you decide to do with Asuka there, I will look the other way," said Misato, giving Shinji a smile. "This is all official NERV business and all that, whatever it takes, right Ritsuko?"

"Ymmve gtmma bmm kmmdmngh!" Asuka muffled, still shaking her head. _"She can't be serious, giving that pervert Shinji a blank check to have his way with me? If he touches me anywhere I'll rip his nuts off!"_

Shinji, his legs wobbling slightly, sat down next to Asuka and gave her a look, his lips curved into a smile.

"Well, if Misato says you're all mine, then…"

"Dmmt mvvmn thmmnk abmmt mmt!"

Shinji scooted over to Asuka's legs, his hands trembling nervously. He shot the briefest, slightest look at her panty-clad waist, immediately drawing a violently angry squeal of protest from Asuka. He then shifted his gaze down her smooth legs, all the way to her soft, squirming feet. Asuka's toes curled and wiggled as she tried to suppress her intense rage, and Shinji watched for a moment, noticing just how smooth Asuka's soles were.

"Um… you take uh, good care of your feet, Asuka…"

"Fmmcck ymmm!" Asuka screamed at him. _"Take a good long look, you sick perv! I bet you'll like my feet a lot less after I bury one of them up your ass!"_

Shinji slowly reached forward, just like he'd done before. Asuka's eyes widened, but before she could shake her head, Shinji's fingers were crawling all over her soft soles, his fingernails bringing waves of tickling sensations across Asuka's feet. She screamed and squealed at Shinji several times, her giggles piercing her gag and making their way to his ears. Her legs squirmed and moved back, only for Shinji to respond by attempting to wrap one of his arms around her bound ankles to hold them in place.

"_You sick freak, get off my feet!" _Asuka began kicking up in the air, finally connecting with a kick right to Shinji's cheek. She kicked him several times, twice in the head and several times in the chest, warding him off with a series of violent kicks. _"Fuck this, I'm getting out of here!"_

"Ow, ow…!" Shinji squealed as he was kicked, finally landing on his back on the soft carpet of the room. "Asuka, you're supposed to trust me!"

"Well, you know you have to show her she can trust you," Misato replied, watching as Asuka squirmed to her feet and began hopping away. "Obviously she's not going to trust someone with a foot fetish who starts tickling her feet the first chance he gets."

"I don't have a foot fetish!" Shinji protested, climbing to his feet and starting to run after Asuka. "Wait…! Come back!"

"Mmmngh mmmphh!" Asuka shouted back at him, hopping out of the room and down the hallway toward her own room. _"If you get near me again I'll break your nose, Shinji!"_

Shinji chased after Asuka, only to watch as the sliding door to her room began to close.

"Asuka!!"

Asuka, using her feet to close the door, was now using them to hold Shinji back, preventing him from sliding the door back open while shouting obscenities at him through her gag.

"Gmmt thmm fmmck awmm frmm mm, mmsshmmle!"

"Nnnnnghhhh!!!" With a loud grunt and a fierce shove, Shinji managed to get the door back open. He slid into the room, only to be met with another powerful kick to the face. Asuka began backing up, kicking with her legs to ward Shinji off while trying to slip the tight bonds around her wrists and arms.

"_Come on, come on…! If I can't get untied I won't be able to keep him off of me!"_

Finally, Shinji managed to dodge enough of Asuka's kicks to get himself right on top of her. He wrapped his arms tightly around her body, fighting against her struggling and getting her turned around so that her back was facing him, while using his arms to keep her body tightly pressed to his. She screamed several times, trying to ram the back of her head into his face. After dodging this a few times, Shinji allowed Asuka to hit him, crying out in pain as one of Asuka's nerve clips smashed into the tip of his nose.

"Will you just stop and listen to me Asuka…?!" Shinji shouted, continuing to hold Asuka close. "I won't let you go until you listen to me!"

"MMMMMMMMMMMMPPPPHHHH!!!" Asuka cried out in frustration, but finally bowed her head as she realized it was pointless to try and fight. _"Dammit, Shinji… if you do anything besides talk I'm gonna kick your ass!"_

"Asuka…" Shinji gasped, his voice slightly harried and out of breath. "Misato wants us to trust each other… we need to trust each other…"

"Thmmss mmsnt hmmmlpping…!" Asuka growled at him. _"I'll never trust you, Shinji… you don't understand me and you never will… I should be the one fighting the Angels, it should be me, all by myself and without the help of some whiny little perv boy like you! And if you'd take this fucking gag off I'd tell you that!"_

Shinji continued to hold Asuka close, unable to help himself from enjoying the feeling of having such a beautiful girl pressed this tightly to his body… especially since she was totally helpless and tied up in his arms. She hadn't showered yet but her hair still smelled fresh and pleasant… her skin was soft, and he could feel her breathing against his body, her smooth and slender stomach swelling up and down with each breath she took.

The sensations made him nervous, and he started to shake, once again unsure of himself and what to say.

"Asuka, I… I would never hurt you or do anything to you that you didn't like… I uh… I'm not gonna… do anything perverted or… or…"

"Lmmr!" Asuka screamed.

"…I shouldn't have tried to tickle you either, I just got caught up and well… you pissed me off, okay? Coming into the kitchen this morning like you own the place, accusing me of drinking the milk, who the hell do you think you are?"

Shinji stopped himself and let out a sigh. He slowly released his hold on Asuka, though she didn't move as he let her go, continuing to lay there beside him, chewing on her gag with an annoyed expression.

"_Fucking mental case," _she thought, rolling her eyes.

"You know we've gotta trust each other though, right? I mean… I trust you… and if you'd get off your high horse-"

"Grrrrmmmphhh!" Asuka snapped, looking back at him.

"S…sorry, sorry…" Shinji bowed his head. "…you need to trust me. In battle and, uh, everywhere else. That's what Misato was trying to get us to do."

Asuka let out a long sigh. She fought her bonds for a moment, then bowed her head.

"So let's go back to the living room then, huh?"

Asuka relaxed for a moment, thinking Shinji was going to release her. She began to smile, but only slightly, as Shinji bent down and moved his hands toward her body.

"_And tell Misato together that we're not going to do her dumb lesson?"_

Asuka could feel herself being hoisted up into the air. She let out a surprised squeal, and then a grunt of protest as she was placed over Shinji's shoulder and carried out of the room.

"Whhhhmmmtt?! Pmmt mm DMMMN!"

Shinji walked back to the living room with Asuka, who struggled and fought against Shinji as he continued to carry her.

"Pmt mmmm ddddmmmph! NMMM!" Asuka protested. _"I can't believe this scrawny little prick is even strong enough to carry me! _GRRRRMMPH!"

The two returned to the living room, where Misato, who was in the middle of giving the still bound Ritsuko a gentle shoulder massage, was waiting for them with a bright smile.

"So, did the two of you have a little heart-to-heart?" Misato asked knowingly.

"Uh, sort of," said Shinji, setting the indignant Asuka down on the floor with a loud grunt.

"And Asuka, do you trust Shinji now?"

Asuka glared at her, and then at Shinji. She chewed on her gag and gave a quick growl, her fists clenched tightly behind her back. What could she say? Did she trust Shinji? She knew the answer and the answer definitely wasn't what Misato wanted to hear… but what Misato wanted to hear would probably get her out of these ropes a lot more quickly. She bit into her gag, swallowed her pride, and gave a meek nod.

"Mm-hmm…."

"Good!" said Misato happily. "Well, I guess that means you can let her go now."

Asuka sighed with relief, closing her eyes and relaxing her hands again.

"_Finally…"_

"But first," said Misato, prompting Asuka's eyes to snap wide open. "If you trust Shinji, you won't mind him tickling your feet, will you? I mean, nothing says trust more than letting someone who has a foot fetish tickle your feet, hmm?"

"I don't have a foot fetish!" Shinji snapped.

"Grrrrmmmph! MMNNNGGGH!" Asuka squealed.

"Oh… you don't trust Shinji?"

"…mmm…mmmph…gggggrrrmmph…" Asuka let out a long, angry sigh, clenching her fists tightly again and looking up at Shinji. _"…make this quick."_

Within seconds, Shinji was back to tickling Asuka's feet, prompting her to let out several loud squeals of laughter. Even though she was no longer trying to kick him, she was still squirming around far too much for Shinji's liking, and he grabbed another coil of rope from the table.

"I know you trust me and all, but I don't quite trust YOU yet, so…" Shinji took the rope and gently bent Asuka's legs back, putting her ankles up against her thighs and binding the two of them tightly together, forcing Asuka to kneel and making it impossible to move her feet away from his ferocious tickling. "Just keeping you honest."

Asuka grunted and yelled, but mostly laughed as both of Shinji's hands worked her soles and toes, forcing a series of loud giggles into her gag.

"Mmm..mmhmhmhm…mmph…mggmm gggmm…mmm!!!" Asuka was laughing too loudly to even attempt to vocalize what she was thinking. Shinji was mostly looking at Asuka's feet, but if he'd shifted his view to her hands, he could've seen that her fingers were tightly clenched… and if he'd stopped tickling long enough to give her time to speak, he could've heard her muffle into her gag the one thought racing through her mind.

"_I'm going to kill you, Shinji!"_

**THE END**


End file.
